SR2373 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR2373 LRB099 21501 MST 49873 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Jean-Claude Poilevey of Oak Park, who passed away on April 9, 2016; and

WHEREAS, Jean-Claude Poilevey was born in the Burgundy region of France on February 10, 1945; he began training at 14 years old in a small restaurant near the Jura Mountains, an area close to Switzerland; in the mid-1960s, after serving as a cook in the French Army, he moved to London and worked for three years at The Colony Club and Cafe Royale; and

WHEREAS, In 1968, Jean-Claude Poilevey and several other French chefs working in London, including the late Chef Jean Banchet, were recruited to work for Hugh Heffner at the Playboy Club in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; and

WHEREAS, Jean-Claude Poilevey moved to Chicago, and in 1973, along with a few friends, opened a restaurant, La Fontaine; in 1988, he bought out his partners and continued to run the business until he sold it in 1993; over its 20-year run, many chefs were trained there, some who went on to open their own successful restaurants; and

WHEREAS, In 1993, Jean-Claude Poilevey and his wife, Susanne, opened Le Buochon, a small 40-seat bistro in Bucktown; in 1998, they opened another restaurant, La Sardine, in the West Loop area of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Jean-Claude Poilevey was a traditionalist in French cuisine, with a good-natured tableside manner; he was considered a unifier in both the French culinary community and the French expat community in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Jean-Claude Poilevey is survived by his wife, Susanne, and his three sons, Oliver, Nicolas, and Henri; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Jean-Claude Poilevey, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Jean-Claude Poilevey as an expression of our deepest sympathy.